Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-10-01
DANGERS OF Oil WELLS
REMARKABLE EXPERIENCES WITH
FIRE AND DYNAMITE.

the Dynamite Didn't Explode-Fate of
q DriIIer-How the Lost Dynamite
Was Pound.
The great natural gas and oil fields of Ohio
and Pennsylvania have unpublished histories
und stories which far surpass the widest
dreams of imagination The average man
will not believe the stories told of the derrick
drill and dynamite, and only drlllers will ap
preciate the following accounts, which are
given as actual facts
Ina small town right here in northwestern
Ohio occurred recently an event which, had
the citizens known, would have caused the
populace to drive drlllers NATURAL gas wells
and oil men out of the place without delay.
Even now, should name of place be gwen,
authorizes would undoubtedly pass an ord-
nance, as has been done in Fremont Fostoria
and other towns, i2rbidmg the Introduction
of dynamite
The gas well was located right in the village,
which is mere hamlet Of IA few hundred in-
habitants 1t was lat Iii the day when the
Trenton was reached, ard the drilier, a man
named Smith. who Is considered an expert,
decided to shoot the well at o'clock in the
morning.
Five large dynamite cartridges were
brought IL the DERRICK 10 be- lowered into the
we'll A rope had hrrh attached to one of
them and the signal gwen for the men to
lower it int the Well. The other cartridges
were carefully placed on the floor of the der
rick, all ready Tor Use
ONE MASS OF FLAME
Just at this moment small boy who had
been sent after IA lantern entered the derrick
He stumbled and fell the globe OF the lantern
breaking, and without a moments warning
the floor of the derrick which was covered
with grease and oil, WAS one mass of flame.
run for your lives. was the order, and
without stopping 10 lonh behind, crouching
close TO the ground and expecting every mo-
ment to hear "a terrible explosion from the
dynamite in the derrick. for the drillers knew
that it would he only question of how many
seconds before the heat would explode the
dynamite cartridge and blow not only them
selves into eternity, but the inhabitants who
were sleeping quietly and all unconscious of
danger few rods from the well, they ran rs
mile from the well they stopped in the dark
ness and wondered why the "infernal thing
didn't go off
1t was almost daylight before they ven
tured back to the well, The explanation of
the reason why the derrick didn't burn and
the dynamite didn't explode was very simple.
but it was unheard of and undreamed of by
drillers before
An Investigation showed that the derrick
had burned until the rope attached TO the
cartridge TO lower il INTO the well had burned
off The cartridge fell by its own weight into
the well, exploded at the proper depth by the
conclusion and the force of the explosion
forced column OF water up into the air.
The water extinguished the fire i'll every part
of the derrick When the drlIers returned
they found their gas well already shot, and
the town, derrick and dynamite safe The
well Is good one, hut the drillers have never
told the citizens OF that early morning race
for their lives
NOT SO FORTUNATE
Equally thrilling but not equally fortu.
nate, is the story that comes from Pennsyl.
vania of driiler who tried to shoot an oil
well in the Beaver count field He lowered
the cartridges carefully into the well and ai
the critical moment was startled to hear the
oil coming up, knowing that the cartridges
would come up with it Bracing himself
for the worst, he caught the cartridges as
they came up out of the we'll Unfortunately
they commenced to drip He knew if he
stepped on one drop of the explosive that he
would never shoot another well; vet the drops
were falling around his feet What thoughts
fitted through the mans brain as he walked
slowly on carrying the deadly rack II rock
will never b. known The mental strain and
anguish was too great and threw him on the
ground with a yell The drillers searched
far and wide FOR the remnants of LIS body
in vain.
The Blade has already mentioned the "os
dynamite on farm near findlav The dy
Mantle was discovered in IA peculiar man
ner last week Tue farmer in whose field the
drillers buried the dynautIf. dared not pillow
1t, and he let 1t grow up to clover The
driliers searched days fnr traces Of the miss
ing explosive but IN vain The farmer
cursed the drillsrs, AMI finally turned herd
of hogs IN the clogei. Going ont the Other
day to look at his hog, he discovered them
clustered around the nISSiHE explosives. Thee
had, with swiniSh peryersitY, dug the rack-a
rock ont Of the mud, and the dynamite had
with equal perverslty refused 10 explode and
butcher the hogs, no matter how hard they
kicked and rooted in that vicinity The
owner of the land succeeded M calling them
away from the dangerous locality and to
day he valves the clover field at 800 more
per acre than he did last week An instance
of another rapid rise IN Finllay real estate
Toledo Blade